College students in China won't have to fear failure as much when launching start-ups under a newly-amended Ministry of Education regulation.

According to the new rules, students who want to start their own business can apply to take a gap year between finishing high school and starting college.

Students who have started their college studies can also apply for leave for several semesters and their period of schooling can be extended. The approval process will also be streamlined.

When they are ready to return to their studies, they will also be able to change their majors. In addition, they can earn academic credit for experience relating to their major requirements such as attempts in innovation and entrepreneurship, publishing academic papers and patent licensing.

Experts think the new regulation will effectively ease the pressure on college students by encouraging and supporting more of them to try innovative activities and start businesses.

College graduates now face severe competition for jobs, as the number of those who are entering the job market grows each year. Last year saw a record high of 7.65 million graduates.

Professor Ma Huaide, vice-president of China University of Political Science and Law, told the Beijing News, colleges should set up a special body to provide one-stop shop providing services and guidance to students who want to start a business.

It is the first major amendment to the regulation covering all aspects of student's college life since it was enacted 12 years ago.
In another significant addition, a new chapter on students' appeals aims to ensure students will be treated justly and equally when being punished.(From China Daily website)

The majority of new businesses fail because, even if you have a product or service that fills a gap in the market, new businesses are typically under capitalised and lack the skills in sales, marketing, administration and accounting.

If you subsequently decide that self employment is not for you then it leaves a question mark over you as to whether you are just seeking short term employment while you wait for another opportunity to start your own business.

Education should not be just about reading books and taking tests, and idea of lifelong learning should not be only about older employees learning new things in their work, but the other way too.

Also students can be more naive (in the positive sense) and open minded than older enterpreneurs, and they could put China's reforms related to business environment to different kind of test than older generations, which can benefit the whole society.

Jaaja Post time: 2017-2-19 19:46
In principle I think this is good development.

Education should not be just about reading books and ...

Well, there is positive and there is questionable in this decision.

Apparently the legislator is motivated to relieve the universities of the pressure from their intakes ever ear. At the same time the legislator seems to want young people to head into tertiarz education after their high schools but perhaps a zear or two later... Why? Because thez badlz want their money, that is why.

A gap year really is a smart move but why did the legislator saz it has to be used by the young and inexperienced to start up a business?

The legislator could have suggested that young people take a year experiencing the world of labour to see what they like best and what occupation suits them best.

The legislator could thus have given the young an opportunity to learn more about themselves. How many young boys might be lured towards the nursing profession? If you ask middle-school kids if they could imagine working as nurses, all boys will automatically snigger and say "not me". And yet, the Chinese hospitals badly need male nurses.